Hi sweet Ms Poppy, from Ms LaLo, & Angel ChristyWe were at the Milonga last night, but could quickly see it was being dominated by the same people, all of which seemed to having a good time! We also have new resolutions, but if no birdie knows what they are, they won't won't know if we fall short! Good luck to all your favorite NFL teams in their playoff games today! We really like Rogers and the Packers, but will be cheering for Sugar, Scooby, and Tazzie's Seahawks, and we just love Mr Taima, the Sea Eagle, what a handsome guy! Their is however a gorgeous Moluccan Too named Barney that says "Go Pack Go", I hope they how him in the pregame show, it will warm your heart! These are the two best teams, and we wish the Pats well also! Good luck & good love from our home to yours, give all in your home our sincere love, see ya tomorrow...

Playoff love from Christy, Jenny, & our Dallas football family

PS~Congrats for BOTD to our sweet little neighbor buddy Kirby McIntyre, the most handsome GCC ever, and he is oh so sweet, albeit spoiled rotten, he is mommy Denise's pet, make no mistake about that.........

Heya, Poppy!Stopping by with this very delicious and very large Hatchday cake made just for you by the lovely Lizzie herself! Plenty big for everyone of your flockily and friends to share in celebration on your special day! And it comes with big wishes for everything you could ever want and even more! Head scritches, treats, toys, and most important...lotsa love!

Happy Hatch DayHappy Hatch Day To You! Happy Hatch Day To You! Happy Hatch Day To Poppy! Happy Hatch Day To You and Many Many More!

We are all flying by to wish you a greyt day filled with fun,food,friends and family for a day filled with love and attention,cake and ice cream and lots of new toys and special treats!Love Dixie,Kallie and Peepers

Hi Poppy--please let me know you're ok!Hello fellow Adventurers, as promised today we will pick the baby's name. Due to the number of names I have made a separate list and posted it onto my page--PLEASE pick one name and let me know your choice--they are all greyt. Remember the baby is a BOY. Rushing into the food tent, everybirdie places their food on the counter, as Sky and BB get busy cleaning and blending them through the food Processor. "WAIT SKY, not the Blackberry, it's not a fruit it's an ipod." Hulk yells as Sky prepares to drop the blackberry into the mixture. Spot finishes feeding the baby by regurgitating food into his hungry mouth. "There, all full" he hands the baby back to Sugar who makes a disgusted face and tries not to gag. "SPOT, you really know what you're doing" Parker says looking sorta nauseated "THAT was so, owwwww, yuck!" BooBoo says holding her beetle in her beak. "GROSS!" she says, tossing her head back sending the beetle into the air. It falls straight into her beak. "YUMMY! Now that's how I like my food. Fresh, squirmy and crunchy" "Now, that's GROSS!" Jenny-Lynn says, turning her attention back to the sleepy eyed baby in Sugar's wings. "Finnegan, how'd you like to take a turn watching baby for a while so we Zon Girls can get something for supper?" Finnegan takes the little fluffy baby gently into his wings, looking at him with soft, wide eyes. "We'll get you home, don't worry little fellow" The moment is broken by BB's loud yell, "SKY! What are you eating?" Sky turns red, a large ladle in one wing, his beak full, " NUFFIN" "Did you eat the baby's supper?" She eyes him and the half empty pot of blended food. "I just tried a little, you know to be sure it tasted right without the pickles in it" Sky replies BB shakes her head, taking the pot and ladle away from Sky. "We put this into small jars for our trip, unless you want to feed him?" she says with a shiver. "We'll take turns BB, we're all pretty good at feeding fingers, hands and toys, so we can all take a turn feeding baby." Kiddo says proudly, smiling at the little sleeping chick, "it'll be good experience for us" With the baby soundly sleeping in Finnegan's wings, the hungry birds fill up their plates from some of Lizzie and BB's fine cooking at the food tent. With full bellies, they set about fueling the shuttles, packing provisions, and building a bed for baby to sleep in during their long trip up the Amazon River. "Jenny-Lynn, you really think we'll be able to find the baby's parents in all that Rain Forest?" Sweetie asks as she packs her favorite toy and some extra pellet and Finnegan's bag of Kaytee handfeeding formula into her backpack "We'll find them. We're Zon's we don't give up, we don't back down and we don't ever break our promise to a baby" Jenny-Lynn says with deep conviction. "Let's get some sleep and we'll leave at dawn. We need to take turns feeding baby every two hours or whenever his crop is empty, whose first?" Amando asks your pal Amando 226029

Hi Poppy sweetieHello everybirdie, Amando here with our third day's Adventure update. I want to say the names you are coming up with are great. I will post them in Sunday's blog and everybirdie can vote on their favorite choice. The name with the most votes on Monday will be our new name for the Baby Amazon. Talking about baby's I sure hope we can find his Momma soon, he's starting to get pretty hungry. "Chirp, chirp, CHIRP!!!!!!!!!" the baby cries as he stares at Jenny-Lynn and Sugar who are snuggling him close to help keep him warm. "CHIRP!!!!!" "He's hungry, what are we suppose to feed him?' Sweetie asks Kaji who is watching from a safe distance. "Do you think Lizzie might cook something for him?" "I don't think babies eat food like that, he needs special baby food, mushed up bugs, and worms and spiders" BooBoo says, hurrying to bring the baby a nice plump beetle she just caught. "Boo Boo, stop, baby birds don't eat that stuff, not baby Parrots anyways!" Cori grabs her fister by the wing to slow her down "That's correct, a baby Amazon needs high protein foods, warm, partially digested and fresh. Fruit, leaves, bugs and other foods the parents find when foraging. Being how young he is, he needs fed every hour or so, from sun-up to sun-set" Jenny-Lynn explains "Ok, spread out everybirdie, look for fruit, veggies, leaves, and other healthy foods, seeds and nuts especially" Amando directs, as he rushes off in search of dinner for the little hungry fluff ball. " I have a couple pickles" Sky says loudly, he'll love them!" "SKY!"" BB frowns at Sky making him turn red, " babies don't eat pickles, and besides what are you doing with those pickles?" "Look I see a walnut tree" Sky points and tries to get away as fast as he can, but BB follows him telling him all the dangers of too many pickles all the way there.

" It's ok baby, I'll take care of you" Jenny-Lynn tickles the baby under the chin, " we'll get you back to your Momma safe and sound." "Just wait until I get my beak on those poachers, they'll regret stealing baby Parrots" Sugar adds, an angry glow in her eyes that only Amazons have. "Let me at 'em, I'll show them a thing or two" BonBon yells in her highest Budgie voice. Spot holds his fister back as she gets worked up over someone stealing baby Birds from their nest holes. " Look what we found!" Amando says happily as the group of foragers return to join Sugar and JL with their treasures." We have walnuts, chestnuts, oats, wheat, apples, a pear and someone found this, a Blackberry. " Let's go to the Kissing Booth food tent and get our little friend fed, then we'll get ready to start our trip to Brazil" Amando says eggcitedly. your pal Amando 226029

Hi PoppyHello everyone, Amando here with today's continued adventure BOTM blog. We are certainly heading off into dangerous territory as we return this "Baby" to his parents and flock. I need your help as we face countless dangers, unknown mysteries and spiders. Amando shivers at that thought. We must be fearless, bold and brave. "AHHHHHHHHH, isn't he cute?" Little Angel says looking softly at the baby in Amando's wings. " Dixie, look, a baby" "We can't keep him Little Angel, he needs to go home to his parents and family" Amando reminds her " What is he?" Dixie asks smiling, and making soft coos to the curious bundle of down "Maybe it's a Conure?" Hulk says " I think it's some kind of Amazon Parrot" Jenny-Lynn says startling everybirdie, as she moves in closer with Sugar and Sweetie. " Yep, it's an Amazon, too young to know what species but it's an Amazon alright" "Aren't you just a cute little baby" Sugar says taking the chick from Amando, and hugging him close to her chest. " Don't you worry, we'll get you back home to your parents" Jenny-Lynn takes the soft fluffy baby and holds him up at eye level. The baby bird coos softly as he looks into Jenny's eyes. "MOMMA?" "OH NO! I'm not your Momma baby, but I will help look after you until we find her for you" Jenny-Lynn looks around to make sure everybirdie is in agreement. " all of us will go with you and Amando to the Amazon River and take you back home." " I think the baby needs a name. We can't keep calling him BABY. So, let's think of a name for our little boy baby. Post them on my page and then we will all get to vote on the name we will call our new found friend." Amando says as he watches the girls kissing and cuddling the little down-covered baby.

"Jenny-Lynn, do you think we can get him to Brazil and back home ok?" Sweetie asks, uncertain of what might lie ahead. "Of course. We will take the Shuttle, I am sure Ms BB will help us out, to Brazil, then travel by foot and boat up the Amazon River until we find our baby's flock, a piece of Avi-cake. You see, it'll be easy." even as she spoke Jenny-Lynn knew the dangers that lie ahead; snakes, dangerous animals, insects and.. "she closed her eyes, and kissed the baby. "It'll be fine Sweet Baby" your pal Amando 226029

Hi Poppy sweetieI'm Amando and I am your JANUARY BOTM candidate-I hope I can count on your daily votes and support! Good morning everybirdie, my name is Amando and I am a member of the Sky Flock and this January's BOTM candidate. Not too many of you will know me well as I am one of the quieter frother's of Sky. Bazeball vans might recall that I played on my friend Jenny Lynn's Rain Forest Raiders Team. I came to be part of this large Sky Flock out of necessity. My Momma Deb and my former owner had been friends for years when the subject of Amazons came up one day in conversation. I had lived in other homes before my arrival at Momma's friends aviary but never seemed to stay too long in any one place. See I am rather loud by some people's standards and have a rather short temper at times. That being as it is, I ended up in a breeding aviary with a large outdoor, indoor flight and a very pretty girl as company. Now to most of you boys out there that would have been a wonderful life. It would have been except that girl, she didn't take too kindly to me being in her home. She attacked me one day and pulled out all the feathers on one wing, and bit my wing so badly they never did regrow. I was so afraid of her that from that day on I hid as far away from her as I could. That is how I came to once more be looking for a new home. Momma's friend gave me to Momma knowing I would never have to leave again and that I would be safe and happy living out my days as a pet not a breeder. I am still afraid of other birds, and often react very aggressively to their presence. I like Sweetie, so long as she stays in her cage away from me, and we talk all the time. I have even took it upon myself to teach her to scream and yell just like I do. She's doing an awesome job, but I don't get the annoyed looks I sometimes receive when My Momma Deb hears the two of us screaming happily about, well, nothing. Enough about me. What I really need is your help. On one of my daily walk-abouts I found something, or should I say, somebody. While strolling around on BC I found THIS! Amando holds out a small ball of feathery down with big dark curious eyes for his friends to see. The tiny baby chirps softly, looking from one birdie's face to another. "Momma?" he asks softly "I need your help. We must return the baby to his parents in South America. He was bird-napped from his tree hole nest by poachers. Getting him there will not be easy. We will have to get him safely back home by taking a trip up the Amazon River. It won't be easy, there will be lots of dangers and risks, but knowing that you faced Black-Bart the Cattle Rustler fearlessly, I am certain we can do this together. your pal Amando 226029

Jake <Ö) may have been a “BAD Parrot”, but he says it well: “Be there or BE SQUARE!!!”

Well, the Defense still needs to know their jobs, so without any further delay, let’s get started with the Job Descriptions, Miss Poppy!

Strong Safety – Generally lines up in the secondary*, but often aligns close to the line of scrimmage In most Defenses this Player lines up over the Tight End and is responsible for both playing the pass and supporting the run.

Free Safety – Lines up deepest in the secondary. He defends the deep middle of the field and seldom has man-to-man** responsibilities. A coach wants this Player free to read the QuarterBack and take the proper angle to break up or intercept any forward pass thrown over the middle or deep to the sidelines.

Defensive Back – A member of the Defensive secondary. Defensive Backs form the line of Defense whose job is to prevent Receivers from making catches and then gaining lots of yards after the catch.

CornerBack – Lines up on one of the wide sides of the field, usually opposite an offensive Receiver. Called a CornerBack because he is isolated on the “corner” edge of the Defensive alignment.

Defensive End – Lines up at the end of the Defensive line. The job of the Defensive End is to contain the Running Back on running plays to the outside, and rush the QuarterBack*** on passing plays.

Defensive Tackle – Lines up on the interior of the Defensive line. The duties of a Defensive Tackle include stopping the Running Back on running plays, getting pressure up the middle on passing plays, and occupying Blockers so the LineBackers can roam free.

LineBacker – Lines up behind the Defensive linemen and in front of the Defensive backfield. The LineBackers are a Team's second line of Defense. Each Team has two outside LineBackers.

Nose Tackle – a Defensive Tackle who lines up directly across from the Center. Also known as the Nose Guard, the primary responsibilities of the Nose Tackle are to stop the run and occupy the Offensive lineman to keep them from blocking the LineBackers.

It seems to me that it is MUCH more complicated to try to understand Defense than it is Offense! (But then again, I am a simple GRITS GirlBird, and unaccustomed to such strategizing. We are more frequently seen serving snacks and refreshments during FootBall Games. **TeeHee**) The drawings I have to support today’s information on the Defense eggsplain more of where Defensive Players can line up. The eggsecution of Defensive plays is much more involved than I could ever hope to delve into in this format. I suppose that means that the Defensive Players on the Teams in the Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl have a lot of improvising to look forward to during the Game!

It is my sincere desire that the information on both the Offensive and Defensive Squads has served to make your spectator participation in the Game of FootBall more enjoyable, and that it has been a help in preparing the Players for the Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl. It has been an honor and a privilege to research and present what I could find to give you more pleasure in The Game.

*secondary—the Defensive players who line up behind the LineBackers and wide on the corners of the field opposite the receivers and defend the pass. These defensive players, who are called Defensive Backs, are separated into Safeties, CornerBacks, and, occasionally, Nickel Backs (an eggstra Defensive Back who is used in some Defensive Formations).

**man-to-man [coverage]—pass coverage in which every potential Offensive Receiver is assigned to a particular Defender Each Defensive Player must stick to his Receiver like glue and make sure he doesn’t catch a pass thrown in his direction.

***rush the QuarterBack—use whatever moves the Player has to get a sack, or disrupt the throw.

`Ü´ Greetings & A Happy Day AfterThanksgiving to you Miss Poppy! I do hope your Thanksgiving was one of contemplation and appreciation for all the blessings you share with your flockily, as well as loving time together to celebrate all of those blessings.

As I mentioned several days ago, my momma and daddy were blessed with not only the very first Holiday Celebration (or celebration of any event or holiday) with EVERYone in daddy’s family being present, but also a several day long visit with my Grandma beforehand, and a couple of days to come still with my Uncle.

As a result, I have not been able to visit as regularly as I otherwise would have. But parrotsonally, I did use the contemplations of the Holiday to count the many featheriendship blessings that I’ve had in the process of this Quest for the Bird of the Month Crown that I’ve been on this month, AND the love and support you’ve all shown me in that effort. And I eggstend my most heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.

For today I thought I would lighten the spirit of the Campaign and share a funny story. We will, however, finish up with our FootBall information before the month is out.

This is a story that I “made up” about my frother Jake. The originally disguised parrot’s identity was changed to reveal Jake’s NON-innocence. **GiGGle**

BAD Jake <Ö)

Jake joined The K Kritter Korral as the first Blue-and-Gold Macaw after fister Rosalie made her Journey to The Rainbow Bridge. He had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of his beak was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. Momma tried and tried to change his attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else she could think of to clean up his vocabulary.

Finally, Momma was fed up and she yelled at Jake <Ö). Jake <Ö), of course, yelled back. Momma shook him and he got angrier and even more rude. In desperation, Momma threw up her hands, grabbed Jake <Ö) and put him in the freezer.

For a few minutes Jake <Ö) squawked and kicked and screamed. (And Jake <Ö) screams LIKE A GIRL! **TeeHee**.) Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a sound was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that she had hurt him, Momma quickly opened the door to the freezer. Jake <Ö) calmly stepped out onto Momma’s outstretched hand and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I am sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

Momma was absolutely stunned at the change in Jake’s <Ö) attitude.

As she was about to ask Jake <Ö) what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, he spoke up, very softly, and asked … "May I ask what the turkey did?"

I do hope that your Saturday and Sunday were full of fun and productivity. I know in my case I had to relinquish Momma’s eggsclusive attention and assistance on my Campaign to be your December Bird of the Month to more pressing parrontal matters around our K Kritter Korral. (The portion of Sunday during which Momma was available to bring me to your page for a visit, the BirdChannel was not cooperating. You might say that their GPS was out of order! **TeeHee**)

You see, Momma and Daddy were informed that they could eggspect a visit from my Grandma from Idaho from later today, to last thru Thursday morning when they all gather at Daddy’s youngest brother’s home about an hour away from us for the first Family Celebration with everyone present since Momma and Daddy have known each other. Grandma was eager to be able to spend time here with Momma and Daddy, and all of us fids of course, before joining the rest of the family for a concurrent Celebration of Thanksgiving and her BirthDay on Thursday! Then she will remain with my Uncle and his family until she returns to her home in Idaho later in the week, while my other Uncle comes to pay us a visit over the long weekend.

So, all of this is to say that my visits may be a bit sporadic from now thru the end of the month, due to Grandma’s visit, the Holiday weekend with my Uncle visiting, and the upcoming Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl Game. I do apologize in advance for any visits I shall have to forego. But rest assured that I shall continue to do my utmost to bring you the maximum amount of FootBall information in the time we have left together.

And on that note, let us get straight to the information I’ve promised you next about the Offensive Squad on a FootBall team …

Let’s begin our eggsamination of the individual Positions on the Offensive Squad.

QuarterBack – The Player who usually receives the ball from the Center at the start of each play. He informs his TeamMates in the huddle of the play that will be run and then, after the Center snaps* the ball to him, either hands the ball to a Running Back or throws to a Receiver.

Center – The Player who hikes (or snaps) the ball to the QuarterBack at the start of each play. The term comes from the fact that this Player is flanked on either side by a Guard and a Tackle; he’s the “MiddleMan” (or Center) in a contingent of five Offensive LineMen or Blockers. He handles the ball on every play and also snaps the ball to the Punter and Holder.

Guard – There are two Guards on every play, and they line up on either side of the Offensive Center. The Guards protect the QuarterBack from an Inside Rusher; they block Defenders immediately across from them and also swing out, or pull**, and run toward either end [of the line] to block any Defender when the ball carrier runs wide°.

Tackle – Both Offensive and Defensive, on Offense they are Outside Blockers on the line of scrimmage°°.

Tight End – Serves as a BIG Receiver [Oh MY!] and also a Blocker. Unlike a Wide Receiver, this Player generally lines up beside the Offensive Tackle either to the right or to the left of the QuarterBack. (Also “Strong Side+”)

Wide Receiver – The Player who uses his speed and quickness to elude Defenders and catch the FootBall, but who isn’t primarily a Blocker. Wide Receivers are also known as “pass catchers” [but I-I-I would parrotsonally NOT disparage one so!]. Also called a WideOut.

Running Back – A Player who runs with the FootBall. Running Backs are also referred to as TailBacks and HalfBacks, depending on their exact responsibilities and alignment.

FullBack – A Player who lines up in the Offensive backfield++ and generally is responsible for blocking for the Running Back and pass-blocking to protect the QuarterBack. FullBacks also serve as short-yardage runners.

I would also like to call your attention to a display of several of the basic Offensive Formations which appear in the Gallery at the bottom of my page. (They also appear in my Profile Picture at the top of my page; but they are much clearer and contain eggsplanatory text in the photos in the Gallery.) I hope these are of use to you in recognizing some of what happens on the actual field of play the next time you watch a FootBall Game.

I am also including several definitions of terms used in the above Position Descriptions at the end of this note.

Have a Greyt Day! Perhaps enjoy watching The Jets play The Bills at 7:00 pm on CBS, or The Ravens play at The Saints at 8:30 pm on ESPN. Both times are EST. Remember, it is virtually illegal to watch a FootBall Game quietly. So do what we Avians are most well-known for doing … **S*Q*U*A*W*K** . **I*T** . **U*P** ! ! !

*snap—the action in which the ball in handed or hiked by the Center to the QuarterBack, to the Holder on a kick attempt, or to the Punter. **pull—when a player leaves one area of the field, generally moving back and then over, to block in an area other than his normal position. °run wide °°line of scrimmage—the imaginary boundary between the two teams prior to the snap of the ball. The Offense’s and Defense’s scrimmage lines are defined by the tip of the ball closest to them and stretch from sideline to sideline. The Defensive Team usually lines up less than a yard away from where the ball is placed. +strong side—the side of the Offensive formation where the Tight End aligns. With a right-handed QuarterBack, the strong side is usually to his right side. ++backfield—the group of Offensive Players (the Running Backs and QuarterBack) who line up behind the line of scrimmage (vs the Offensive LineMen and/or Receivers who line up at the line of scrimmage).

Hi PoppyYour poor sweet Momma everything happening at once and to lose my sweet Sunshine has left a hole in my heart,I truly loved and missed her!Please tell me what happened to your Momma,please give her all our love and a warm hug from my Mom and warm wing hugs from all of us here also!that really sounds so serious and our thoughts and prayers go out to her also!I know what you feel like when a fister or frother leaves us for the Bridge and I will always and forever love Sunshine,she was my world and now she's on the Bridge happy and whole again!My Mom is feeling the pressure of trying to keep up with everything here and on BC also,like tonight,there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day lately and the days are just flying by so much faster now! Sending you all our love and prayers for healing for your sweet Momma to feel better also!It is with a heavy heart that I take my leave for now!Please come and see me whenever you can Poppy,we all miss you here more than you can know!Loving you always and forever,Peepers

Does anybirdy ELSE realize how much there is to KNOW about FootBall??? Why … I had no idea how much I DIDN’T KNOW until Momma consented to help me learn for the sake of my Quest for the Bird of the Month Crown, and sharing her passion for The Game so that I might understand all of the HoopLa that I hear coming from the area of the television every time she watches a Game!!

HEAVENS to BETSY … and BACK!!!

Well! As promised, we shall begin our investigation into the individual responsibilities of the Players in each Position today. But I fear it will never fit into one day’s note. So we shall simply spread it out over several days so that you, My Featheriend, can take it all in and not fall asleep before you learn what you need to know!

You may recall from our earlier information that the NFL limits active, uniformed Players to 45 per Team on Game Day.

Each FootBall Team has 11 Players per side: 11 on Offense and 11 on Defense. Teams are allowed to play with fewer than 11 Players (and for the LIFE of me I can’t IMAGINE WHY they would WANT to???), but they are penalized for having more than 11 Players on the Field during play. Rarely, a few eggsceptionally talented Players may play both Offense and Defense in the NFL. (And I do believe that we have a few of those eggsceptionally talented Birdie FootBall Players on the Indians and Pilgrims Team Rosters!)

A typical NFL Game Day roster includes three QuarterBacks, a Punter, a PlaceKicker, a Kick Return Specialist, eight Offensive LineMen, four Running Backs, five Receivers, two Tight Ends, seven Defensive LineMen, seven LineBackers, and six Defensive Backs. (The NONSTARTING Players – that is, those who are not among the 22 or so Players who are listed in the Starting LineUp – are considered Reserves, and many of them are Specialists.)

In the NFL, an additional Player can be in uniform, but he must be a QuarterBack and enter the Game only after the other QuarterBacks have been removed from the Game because of injury. When this eggstra QuarterBack, or 46th Player, enters the Game, the other QuarterBacks are deemed ineligible and cannot return to that Game even if they are healthy.

With our very own 3rd Annual Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl Game approaching in a little over a week, and Players needing and wanting to know how to practice to yield the most effective results, when we next meet I shall delve into the individual Positions on the Offensive Squad.

Before I depart this evening, though, I do wish to thank you, once again, for your wonderful continuing support of my efforts to be your Christmas Queen on BirdChannel. I am truly beginning to feel the eggscitement of the prospect of having my dream realized. You and your featheriendship are appreciated more than you know.

I am flitting by this evening for a very short visit to share with you a little bit of the great fun I had this Tuesday past presenting a program with Momma for The Sylvan Seniors at Mt Sylvan United Methodist Church in Durham, where Momma and Daddy attend. (They do not attend the s-e-n-i-o-r-s functions. **TeeHee** They attend CHURCH there.)

Momma and I were given half an hour to address the group, to share what Life with a Parrot is like, for most of them had never had an eggsperience with a companion parrot; particularly not one of my size! When we have a program like that, Momma usually starts out by eggsplaining how she and Daddy came to start a flock like the K Kritter Korral, and how it grew; and then, through sheer human curiosity, we have a wonderful conversation about what all is entailed in living with a parrot (or parrotS). Of course, I-I-I contribute greatly to program content; this time including a stroll back and forth in front of the front row at one point, for emphasis of the subject matter at hand. (At just the right point in time I climbed down off my play stand and let Momma know I had something to add. **GRiN**)

When our time for the presentation was over, the group had some lunch together. I was given my fill of some lovely white grapes by a number of brave ladies and gentlemen, and then several of them wanted to have their picture taken with me. In my Gallery at the bottom of my page you can see just a couple of the lovely folks I visited with parrotsonally.

I shall return with those promised eggsplanations of the positions of the players on a FootBall team when next I visit.

Hi PoppyMom and I just got your blog about Sunshine!Mom doesn't get on FB much as she has her hands full with BC right now and both my frothers,Dixie and my Lutino Tiel frother Mario has life threatening problems and for the last several weeks she's been racing back and forth to the vet with both Mario and Dixie and doling out meds twice a day for them both and trying to keep up with everything here!We are all soo saddened by the news of Sunshine's passing!Please tell us what happened,I am so devastated and can't believe she's gone to Rainbow Bridge!I had tried several times in the past along with Kallie to get in touch with Mango and Sunshine but got no answer and we thought that you left BC like so many others had.Please fill me in as to what happened to Sunshine,she was the love of my life and I was so waiting for her return!Mom's just been a wreck with my frothers,both having gout extremely bad and needing constant care and medications and modified housing arrangements.Mario has a myriad of problems and was only given two days to two months to live and Mom has been busy fighting to keep him alive and comfortable!Please know that we all send our condolences to you,Mango and your sweet Momma!We are soo upset by this devastating news!Loving you always,Peepers and flock and Mom Rose too!Sweet baby RIP,you are in a better place right now!I will always love you sweet little lady!

`Ü´ ** TODAY is THE DAY ! ! ! **Miss Poppy! Today we introduce the Teams who will be playing each other in the 2014-3rd Annual Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl Game!!! The Indians, led by Senegal Parrot Kiddo of Simi Valley, California, will face off against The Pilgrims, led by Citron-Crested Cockatoo, Taz of the Proctor Flock in a contest that has come to be one of THE most attended sporting events on BirdChannel. The Game will be played on BirdChannel Profile Page #165848. Kick-off is set for 8:00 pm, Eastern on Saturday, November 29th.

Before we meet the Teams, however, I would like to ask a parrotsonal favor of you. The very first new Birdy Featheriend I made upon moving to North Carolina is a v-e-r-y handsome young Blue-Throated Macaw Fellow, Mr Rylan. If it would not be too much of a bother, would you please stop by his page and bid him a warm BirdChannel Flockily **Welcome**? I would be forever in your debt. His Page number is 273853.

And there you have the names, teams, positions, and page numbers of all the birdies who will be PLAYING in the Bowl Game at the Thanksgiving Milonga this year. I encourage you to visit your teammates, AND your opponents if you so choose, to get to know each other better and to strategize as much as possible between now and The Big Game!

`Ü´ Greetings and Welcome to This Week’sEdition of “Monday Morning QuarterBack”, Miss Poppy, with Yours Truly hosting after the final day of Week 11 of the 2014 NFL Regular Season Play. Before we move along to today’s topic of discussion, here is an overview of the Standings in The League after the first 11 weeks …

SEASON AND PLAYOFF DEVELOPMENTFrom 1920 to 1934, the NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play, instead setting a minimum. The league mandated a 12-game regular season for each team beginning in 1935, later shortening this to 11 games in 1937 and 10 games in 1943, mainly due to World War II. After the war ended, the number of games returned to 11 games in1946 and to 12 in 1947. The NFL went to a 14-game schedule in 1961, which it retained until switching to the current 16-game schedule in 1978. Proposals to increase the regular season to 18 games have been made, but have been rejected in labor negotiations with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).

The NFL operated in a two-conference system from 1933 to 1966, where the champions of each conference would meet in the NFL Championship Game. If two teams tied for the conference lead, they would meet in a one-game playoff to determine the conference champion. In 1967, the NFL expanded from 15 teams to 16 teams. Instead of just evening out the conferences by adding the expansion New Orleans Saints to the seven-member Western Conference, the NFL realigned the conferences and split each into two four-team divisions. The four conference champions would meet in the NFL playoffs, a two-round playoff. The NFL also operated the Playoff Bowl (officially the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl) from 1960 to 1969. Effectively a third-place game, pitting the two conference runners-up against each other, the league considers Playoff Bowls to have been exhibitions rather than playoff games. The league discontinued the Playoff Bowl in 1970 due to its perception as a game for losers.

Following the addition of the former AFL teams into the NFL in 1970, the NFL split into two conferences with three divisions each. The expanded league, now with twenty-six teams, would also feature an expanded eight-team eight-game playoff, the participants being the three division champions from each conference as well as one 'wild card' team (the team with the best win percentage) from each conference. In 1978, the league added a second wild card team from each conference, bringing the total number of playoff teams to ten, and a further two wild card teams were added in 1990 to bring the total to twelve. When the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002, the league realigned, changing the division structure from three divisions in each conference to four divisions in each conference. As each division champion gets a playoff bid, the number of wild card teams from each conference dropped from three to two.

Next time, I shall be pleased to present The Players who will be participating in the upcoming 3rd Annual Milonga Thanksgiving Bowl Game, as well as the CheerLeading Squads! Be sure to tune in to find out which birdies will be playing in which positions and on which squad. In the coming days we shall investigate the distinctions between the positions!

It would seem that most of North America is in the middle of an early onset of Winter, wouldn’t it? There are those FootBall Fans who would call this REAL FootBall Weather! And in view of the “chill” in the air, I am bringing mugs of Hot Cocoa (with marshmallows, if you like) for us to enjoy during my visit today. But this is what I would like to inquire of you: Is this weather inspiring everybirdy to prepare for the upcoming 3rd ANNUAL MILONGA THANKSGIVING BOWL GAME??? **Tee Hee**

Today I am deviating a bit from the previous path of information about the NFL in order to address two questions that were presented by several birdies regarding my last note.

First, a number of you asked if the entire building at 345 Park Avenue in New York City was occupied by the offices of the NFL. Well … no. For an inside look at the Ted Moudis Associates designed NFL headquarters, home to the employees that help power our favorite sport, I direct your attention to the Gallery at the bottom of my Profile Page. The modern, multi-level office space is located, as I mentioned in my last note, at 345 Park Avenue in Lower Manhattan, and was designed by TMA with the goal to “carry its strong brand identity throughout the design.” The office includes a League Room for the owners of our favorite franchises to hold meetings, employee cafeteria complete with kitchen along with an employee store, fitness center for staying in shape with lockers and showers, and a whole lot more. The 4 main floors of the office building were designed to represent the “Four Pillars” of the National Football League, which include The Game, The Teams, The Fans, and of course The Innovation. The 5th floor of the building houses the Officiating Command Center, and the 6th floor includes multiple outdoor terrace areas.

Other current tenants include The Blackstone Group, Consulate General of Ireland, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Capital Trust, Deutsche Bank, KPMG, and Piper Jaffray.

Secondly, several birdies were curious about who the three “pre-NFL/AFL-merger” teams were. As nearly as I can discern, those teams were the AAFC Teams the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers, and the original version of the Baltimore Colts.

Since its inception in 1920, the NFL fended off several rival leagues. Before 1960, the most important rival was the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which began play in 1946. The AAFC differed from the NFL in several ways, and the AAFC's perennial champions—the Cleveland Browns—were considered to be one of the best teams in professional football during that time. However, due to the AAFC's poor financial situation, the league disbanded after the 1949 season.

I do hope I am providing you with interesting and accurate information that satisfies your curiosity about American FootBall, its history and its structure. I am finding the details of my research quite entertaining. Are you?

I am very happy to report than Momma’s hand is much improved! While there is still a bit of swelling and light bruising on the back of her hand, she is now able to fully use her fingers with only minimal hindrance and no discomfort. Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers, good wishes and concern. (I believe she and Daddy have plans to purchase a new NylaBone for Mr Tyson; one that he cannot fit through his crate to deposit on the floor and cause more accidents!!!)

When I continue with the background information of American FootBall, we shall be moving along to Season and Playoff Development. I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned in that area with you.

`Ü´ Greetings & Welcome to Week 11 …of the 2014 NFL Season! The week “kicked off” (**TeeHee** … if you will pardon the pun) last night with the Buffalo Bills traveling to play the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins won handily, 22-9. I do hope that you were able to enjoy some Stitch’s Spicy PopCorn with the Game!

It was so lovely to receive your visit, Miss Poppy, and I thank you so very much for your vote that raises the tally toward my Quest for the BOTM Crown. And it is, once again, with apologies that I am a day late returning the kindness. For those of you who did not see the note on my page, Momma had a bit of an accident which prohibited her being able to assist me in visiting you. It involved a little mishap with a dog toy on which Momma slipped and, in the attempt to catch herself and prevent falling, she injured her hand on the door frame. It is very sore yet today, so I will not be able to leave any parrotsonal comments on my visit as I prefer doing, but will be resolved to using the copy and paste method of delivery for the time being, until Momma’s had is less sore. (It seems that she can click on the left side of the mouse without too much discomfort. The right button is a bit painful. And typing is one key at a time; not conducive to individualizing each note.) Be that as it may, she is determined to keep in step with my FootBall information for you.

Now, let’s pick up where we left off, completing the Founding and History of the NFL before we move on to Season and Playoff Development next.

UNTIL THE 1960s, the NFL was the dominant professional football league and faced little competition. Rival leagues included three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), none of which lasted for more than four seasons (although several teams from the AAFC joined the NFL after the league dissolved in 1949). A new professional league, the fourth American Football League (AFL), began play in 1960. The upstart AFL began to challenge the established NFL in popularity, gaining lucrative television contracts and engaging in a bidding war with the NFL for free agents and draft picks. The two leagues announced a merger on June 8, 1966, to take full effect in 1970. In the meantime, the leagues would hold a common draft and championship game. The game, the Super Bowl, was held four times before the merger, with the NFL winning Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II, and the AFL winning Super Bowl III and Super Bowl IV. After the league merged, it was split into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC), consisting of most of the pre-merger NFL teams, and the American Football Conference (AFC), consisting of all of the AFL teams as well as three pre-merger NFL teams.

TODAY, THE NFL is considered the most popular sports league in North America; much of its growth is attributed to former Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who led the league from 1960 to 1989. Overall annual attendance increased from three million at the beginning of his tenure to seventeen million by the end of his tenure, and 400 million viewers watched 1989's Super Bowl XXIII. The NFL established NFL Properties in 1963. The league's licensing wing, NFL Properties earns the league billions of dollars annually; Rozelle's tenure also marked the creation of NFL Charities and a national partnership with United Way. Paul Tagliabue was elected as commissioner to succeed Rozelle; his seventeen-year tenure, which ended in 2006, was marked by large increases in television contracts and the addition of four expansion teams, as well as the introduction of league initiatives to increase the number of minorities in league and team management roles. The league's current Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has focused on reducing the number of illegal hits and making the sport safer, mainly through fining or suspending players who break rules. These actions are one of many the NFL is taking to reduce concussions and improve player safety.

I hope having a more complete image of the beginnings of American FootBall will be of some help in adding to your enjoyment of the Sport.

`Ü´ Greetings Miss Poppy!I do hope you were able to locate and read the posting Momma and I put together for Veteran’s Day yesterday. I apologize for both of us that we did not visit anybirdy yesterday. Momma had made an appointment for both me and Caique frother Sammy to have nail and beak trims with Dr Burkett, the BirdVet [and if you look him up on the internet, that is how you will find him listed **TeeHee**] in the afternoon, after she finished up with all of her other responsibilities, and during the time when we would normally have begun our visits. The greater complication arose when I became very agitated and overwhelmed during my beak trim. Dr Burkett even stopped his work before he finished all that he wanted to do because he told Momma it was not worth stressing me out further. Momma was VERY concerned because I was breathing so very hard, as was Dr Burkett.

At any rate, once we got home, and after Momma stayed with me for a long time to make sure that I was completely restored to normal, she herself was so stressed out that she was unable to settle herself down so that we could go to work delivering my note to everybirdy. Daddy and I both insisted that she just take the evening to calm herself and regain her composure before trying to go to sleep at bedtime so that she COULD get a good night’s rest, knowing full well that she would not be able to focus enough to be efficient while working on the computer and would therefore likely be up all night (being stubborn as she is) to complete the task.

What was so important that Momma would have scheduled an appointment with Dr Burkett for something as basic as a nail and beak trim right in the middle of the heightened activity of my Quest for the Crown? Well, I have a Public Appearance scheduled with the Seniors Group at Momma and Daddy’s church this coming Monday, and Momma wanted to be sure that my nails and beak would not be off-putting when they wanted to hold me. (And everybirdy ALWAYS wants to hold me! **GiGGle**) Besides, I-I-I always insist on looking my best when I have an appearance in front of the public.

I shall look forward to visiting again tomorrow when we shall complete our Founding and History of American FootBall, and then move on to Season and Playoff Development the next time.

REMINDER OF PRACTICE GAME AT THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS STADIUM ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13,2014 AT 7:00PM EASTERN TIME.SHOW YOUR TEAM SPIRIT AND SHOW UP FOR PRACTICE,IF YOU CAN'T GET THERE HAVE YOUR PARRONT DROP YOU OFF EARLY,LAST WEEK WE ONLY HAD THREE SHOW UP TO PRACTICE,ANGEL,PEPPER AND KALLIE! THEY ALL SHOWED THEIR TEAM SPIRIT!IF YOU WANT OUR TEAM TO STAND A CHANCE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS YEAR,YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST COME TO PRACTICE EACH WEEK! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE TO SUPPORT YOUR TEAM ON THURSDAY! COACH DIXIE AND COACH JEDI

`Ü´ Greetings, Miss Poppy ...and Welcome to “Monday Morning QuarterBack”, the show that brings you interviews, highlights, and FuN and informative tidbits of information on everything from The History of FootBall to each play and position on a Team. Actually, Monday will not be the only day we broadcast (nor will it always be seen in the morning), but it’s a catchy title for the program, is it not? **GiGGle** [OoPs! That wasn’t very professional. Well, moving right along … ] On today’s program, we pick up where left off last week in our discussion of the beginnings of American FootBall.

FOUNDING AND HISTORY On August 20, 1920, a meeting was held by representatives of the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, and Dayton Triangles at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio. This meeting resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC), a group who, according to the Canton Evening Repository, intended to "raise the standard of professional football in every way possible, to eliminate bidding for players between rival clubs and to secure cooperation in the formation of schedules". Another meeting held on September 17, 1920 resulted in the renaming of the league to the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The league hired Jim Thorpe as their first president, and consisted of 14 teams. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), remain.

The Akron Pros won the first

APFA (NFL) Championship. [Y-a-a-a-Y Akron! Momma’s HomeTown!!!] Although the league did not maintain official standings for their 1920 inaugural season and teams played schedules that included non-league opponents, the APFA awarded the Akron Pros the championship by virtue of their 8–0–3 (8 wins, 0 losses, and 3 ties) record. The following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title* over the Buffalo All-Americans. In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL).

* The 1921 NFL Championship controversy, known among Buffalo sports historians and fans as the Staley Swindle, is a dispute in which the Buffalo All-Americans unintentionally surrendered the 1921 APFA Championship title to the Chicago. The controversy began at the conclusion of the 1921 season, when the All-Americans finished the season with the best record in the American Professional Football Association. However, after losing what the All-Americans owner had intended to be an exhibition game to the Staleys on December 4, 1921, the All-Americans lost their title to Chicago on a tiebreaker.

And that’s where we will have to leave you for today’s program, FootBall Fans. Be sure to tune in again for our next program where we pick up the conversation on the Founding and History of American FootBall.

`Ü´ Greetings & Happy Weekend Miss Poppy!And how are you faring on this lovely Sunday, My Featheriend? In my last post, I alluded to the familiar saying, “Man [and LadyBirds and their mommas] plan, and God laughs!” Well, Father God is having a BELLY LAUGH today on The K Kritter Korral!!!

The first thing Saturday morning, on a day that Momma was absolutely certain would be a day in which we could easily visit each of my featheriends at a leisurely pace, she needed to phone our Kittys’ Veterinary Hospital once a-g-a-i-n and make an appointment for a DIFFERENT KITTY from last week’s visit to be seen immediately. Yesterday morning it was Mr Larry Kitty who was having difficulties and throwing up multiple times; and it concerned Momma greatly. Momma and Daddy took him to see Dr Ken at the kitties’ new Triangle Clinic in Durham and once again Dr Ken gave our kitty an injection to make him feel better. It does seem to be working, and Momma is more at ease about the situation now. But the whole turn of events had, once a-g-a-i-n, set us behind schedule.

So, without further ado, I shall move immediately to Part II of “The History of the NFL”. Previously we talked a bit about how the League was born, and how it reached its current structure. Today we shall take a brief look at how the Teams are regulated and Championship Records from previous Seasons.

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